Sprint Cup Series Preview for Homestead

Jeff, Kevin and Paul are looking to close out 2013 on a high note

Richard Childress Racing in Homestead ... Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of the few race tracks where team owner Richard Childress has yet to earn a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Richard Childress Racing entries have finished second on three occasions: 2003 (Kevin Harvick), 2008 (Harvick) and 2009 (Jeff Burton). In 43 starts, RCR has earned seven top-five and 20 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile, progressively-banked oval with drivers Dave Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Harvick and Mike Skinner. Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway are the other tracks on the current Sprint Cup Series schedule where RCR is still on the hunt for hardware.
RCR in the NSCS ... In 2,378 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 43 pole awards,105 wins, 449 top-five finishes and 945 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 14 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, '87, '90,'91, '93 and '94, five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR's three national series.

RCR Phoenix Rewind ... In the Sprint Cup Series event at Phoenix International Raceway last weekend, Harvick notched his fourth victory of the 2013 season while Paul Menard and Jeff Burton crossed the finish line 16th and 17th, respectively.
The Collective RCR ... Throughout the season's first 35 races, RCR's Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Harvick at Kansas Speedway in October and collected four wins with Harvick at Richmond International Raceway in April, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas in October and Phoenix International Raceway last weekend. Collectively, the organization has notched 14 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Dillon, Harvick, Menard and Brian Scott. Harvick is representing RCR in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and is currently third in the standings. RCR's other two full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank 17th (Menard) and 19th (Burton) in the driver championship point standings.

Interactive RCR ... For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR's Twitter page - @RCRracing - along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages - @RCR27PMenard and @RCR29KHarvick, and driver Twitter pages - @KevinHarvick and @JeffBurton. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRRacing.com along with official driver pages: www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27, www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton.

Catch the Action ... ESPN's live coverage from Homestead-Miami Speedway begins Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Homestead-Miami Speedway Stats ... Menard has seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His best start of 16th came in 2010 and best finish of 11th came in last year's season-ending event. The Wisconsin native has completed 1,864 of 1,870 laps attempted (99.7 percent) at the Florida track.

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Race Rewind ... Starting 18th, Menard finished 11th in last year's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, marking his best finish to date at the 1.5-mile track.

PAUL MENARD QUOTE
Menard's Thoughts on Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway: "It's always bittersweet going into the last race of the season. I'm ready for a bit of a break, but it will be an adjustment not jumping in a race car every weekend. Homestead-Miami Speedway is a track that has a lot of different grooves, which makes it fun for me as a driver. It's a wide track, which allows for some passing. It's not just "follow the leader." It's fun to go to Homestead because the track atmosphere is always electric. It's the last event of the season for the fans and it's championship weekend, so there is so much extra excitement around the races. I'm sure "Slugger" (Labbe, crew chief) and the crew will have a fast Moen/Menards Chevrolet for me, and we are going to do our best to go out and win the last race of the season."

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS

This Week's Budweiser Chevrolet SS at Homestead-Miami Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 438 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Homestead 400. This is a new Chevrolet and will run its first competitive laps when it arrives at the 1.5-mile track.
Sunshine State Stats ... Since 2001, Harvick has made 12 Sprint Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Throughout the years, the RCR driver has earned five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. Harvick holds an average starting position of 14.7 coupled with an average finishing position of 7.9, has completed 99.9 percent (3,208 of 3,209) of the laps contested and has 128 laps led to his credit.
Championship Hunt ... Heading into the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick sits third in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, 34 markers behind leader Jimmie Johnson and six points out of second place.
Meet the Press ... Harvick will participate in the Contenders Press Conference at Noon Eastern Time on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center. Members of the media will have the opportunity to speak with the 23-time Sprint Cup Series race winner, along with other championship contending drivers.

Sign Here, Please ... Harvick is scheduled to sign autographs on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. ET in the Homestead Midway. Any fan with a ticket to Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series event can visit the Midway to participate in the autograph session.
Special Look ... In celebration of his 14-years with RCR, Harvick will sport a custom designed helmet featuring memorable moments, achievements and milestones from his successful career with the organization.

Looking Back ... Harvick will complete his 13th season of Sprint Cup Series racing at RCR following Sunday afternoon's 267-lap event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Since his first series start at Rockingham Speedway in 2001, the California native has made 23 trips to Victory Lane, earned six pole awards, 100 top-five and 208 top-10 finishes in 465 starts.

Race Rewind ... After starting the 267-lap affair from the 23rd position, Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team drove to an eighth-place finish in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES
Share your thoughts on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway? "Homestead (Miami Speedway) has been a great race track for us, whether it was flat or banked. It's been a race track where we've run well. It would be nice to close out my career at Richard Childress Racing with a win there and go out on the right note. RCR is where I got my start and it's been a great career so far."
Is it difficult to go to a track only once a year? "It's definitely different for the fact that it seems like the track changes so much more because we only go there once a year, not to mention the progression of the car is so different from year-to-year. Homestead has aged over the years because of the climate it's in and has become a very challenging track to drive and figure out. It does create new challenges when you only go there once a year, because you don't put as much focus on that specific track with testing and the things you should do to collect the needed data to put into the simulations to get the right starting point."
Are you fatigued or excited when you finally get to Homestead-Miami Speedway? "You're pretty excited when you get to Homestead, because you know you're going to get some time off. You're obviously still working during the winter doing photoshoots and working with sponsors, but at least you get to come home and sleep in your own bed at night. It's great to get month or so off, but I'm pretty excited for the last day of school."
Is it bittersweet for you to close out this chapter of your career? "I'm excited for what lies ahead. I'm extremely grateful for opportunity that Richard (Childress, team owner) gave me, and I'm proud of everything that we have accomplished throughout the years."

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS

This Week's No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 426 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized earlier this season at Michigan International Speedway in June, Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Chicagoland Speedway in September and Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.
Career Miami Stats ... Sunday's event marks Burton's 15th start at the 1.5-mile oval and 691st-career Sprint Cup Series entry. He has amassed four top-five and six top-10 finishes and led 29 laps at the Homestead, Fla.-based race track.

Thank You Jeff ... In recognition and appreciation for representing Caterpillar at the highest level of NASCAR racing, the No. 31 Chevrolet will have a special "Thank you Jeff" message on the upper-rear quarter panels this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For the past six seasons, Burton has been a great ambassador for the CAT Racing program and his fans while working with Caterpillar dealers and employees, signing autographs and posing for photographs with tens of thousands of CAT Racing fans across the world.
Rewind to Last Year ... Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team finished off the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a 19th-place effort in the season-finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. JEFF BURTON QUOTE
Burton's thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway: "The races at Homestead-Miami Speedway are always fun because there is so much on the line in each series with drivers going for the championship. The track is so much different than when we used to go there earlier in my career. It truly is a multi-grooved race track now. You can run the bottom, top and everywhere in between. It is a challenge for both the driver and the crew because we start the race in the late afternoon and usually finish under the lights. The track conditions change a great deal over 400 miles as the temperature drops."